Posts [ 4 ]

Re: Free trade? Let's call a spade a spade.

Free trade.
Why don’t we call a spade a spade?

We should rename ‘free trade’. Because it isn’t free and it isn’t fair. Since it’s trade that’s regulated in favor of multinational special interest groups, why don’t we call it for what it is: How about ‘rigged market trade’ or ‘turn your back on your fellow countrymen trade’ or ‘throw American workers out on the street trade’. Why are we so afraid to call a spade a spade?

If we don’t stem the tide of multinationalism through trade law reform, then of about 140 million US jobs, between 42 and 56 million of them could be moved off-shore within 20 years: all 14 million current jobs in manufacturing and 28 million jobs in the service sector. We’ll be left without any manufacturing at all, which is at the core of our country’s national security.

Members of our association, The Tooling, Manufacturing & Technologies Association (TMTA) wonder if things will change in time. They know that most of their woes emanate from disastrous trade laws that have been written in Washington DC. Our members wonder if elected officials even care.

Corporate greed feeds on itself and US manufacturing suffers. Multinationalists who drive the global economy have distanced themselves from the social contract, no longer relying on secure employment and rising standards of living to bolster consumer spending. Corporate greed has gotten so out of hand that there is no longer a philosophical agreement, even amongst themselves, that it is in their own self interest to promote a stable society by securing the safety net. How do they justify themselves?

We have to ask ourselves the question, even in our capitalistic society, ‘How much is too much’? Well, in terms of what? Answer: In terms of everything.

I suppose there are some who are reading this who are thinking that this article is leaning a little to the left. Well, actually, it’s not. Increasingly, trade policy and the effects of multinationalism are not partisan issues. The vast majority of Republicans now have serious concerns about our current trade policies because they see these trade policies as being harmful to the middle class and working families of this country, according to a new WALL STREET JOURNAL-NBC NEWS poll.

Most of manufacturing’s problems, your problems, my problems, are as a result of bad trade laws. When the grassroots electorate of this country becomes engaged in this fight, we’ll change bad ‘free’ trade laws into good ‘fair’ trade laws that will reflect the interests of small manufacturers who’ve been absent from trade policy deliberations far too long. By the way, that’s what the Tooling, Manufacturing & Technologies Association is all about. That’s what we do. We very aggressively advocate, politically, on behalf of small manufacturers, in Washington DC. The TMTA doesn’t host lunches or dinners. We’re not a social or networking association. We’re very serious advocates for small manufacturers like you who need our association now more than ever. We confront government officials who have substantial authority, those who chair and sit on committees and sub-committees that influence trade law. The TMTA identifies which elected representatives favor improved trade policy, or not. And we let our members know how they vote. We educate grassroots citizens and local opinion leaders. And, you can find more about us by going to THETMTA.COM. And joining us.

Congress must create a National Trade Commission. Congress must pass currency manipulation legislation. Congress must address the unfair advantage caused by the rebate of VAT taxes by passing a border equalization tax. Congress has to enact countervailing duty laws. Congress has to pass laws that standardize Rules of Origin. They have to pass laws that address infrastructure imbalances including regulatory standards and enforcement standards.

Right now, leading into this up-coming general election cycle, we have the real opportunity to make change. Politicians are up for election or re-election. They usually become sensitive to the wants and needs of their constituents right before an election. Rather than accepting lip-service, however, the TMTA has aligned itself with other organizations like the Organization for Competitive Markets and the Coalition for a Prosperous America, like-minded groups that are actually holding politicians’ feet to the fire relative to trade reform issues. (In the last election cycle held two years ago, 15 politicians who were manufacturing-unfriendly and electorally vulnerable were targeted for defeat. And the ‘kill rate’ was 15 out of 15.) We intend to follow that model in this election cycle. Politicians who have been in the pockets of the corporate-controlled multinationals are on notice. We are going to do what we can to defeat them for the sake of manufacturing.

Since January 2007, when our association went national to answer the need for small manufacturers to be represented honestly in Washington DC, we have grown from representing 21,000 member employees to now representing 50,500 member employees in 22 states. And counting. This remarkable growth shows that small manufacturers want, need, and value advocacy at the federal level. The stronger our association becomes, the more clout we have in the halls of power in Washington DC. Why don’t you join us? We need your help and support.

Brian Sullivan is Director of Sales, Marketing & Communications for the Tooling, Manufacturing & Technologies Association and can be reached at brian@thetmta.com or by telephone at 248.488.0300 x1307.

Re: Free trade? Let's call a spade a spade.

I suppose people will sit up and take notice when some toddler finally succumbs to lead poisoning, or an airplane falls out of the sky because some mission critical part was stamped 'approved' when it should not have been.

As Poor Richard commented, "Experience is a dear school, but a fool will learn in no other."

Re: Free trade? Let's call a spade a spade.

"3"

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States announced Thursday that China has agreed to eliminate a dozen WTO-banned subsidies that have given Chinese exports a broad, unfair trade advantage.

US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said Washington and Beijing had signed an agreement that would resolve a complaint filed by the United States and Mexico at the World Trade Organization in February.

The agreement marked a significant step forward in easing strained trade relations with China, which has by far the largest trade surplus with the US.

"This outcome represents a victory for US manufacturers, producers and their workers," Schwab said at a news conference. The banned subsidies are to be eliminated by January 1.

The US-Mexico complaint at the Geneva-based WTO alleged China was maintaining several subsidy programs prohibited under the international institution's rules across a spectrum of industrial sectors in China including steel, wood products and information technology.

Schwab said the 12 illegal subsidies distort the playing field for US-produced goods sold in the United States, China and third-country markets. Many of the subsidies are tax breaks that are available to benefit up to 60 percent of China's exports.

She said she could not quantify the amount of benefits that would be gained by their elimination but said they were "very substantial because the subsidies were so pervasive."

Two types of Chinese subsidies are affected: export subsidies, which give Chinese goods an advantage abroad, and import substitution subsidies, which encourage companies in China to purchase Chinese-made goods instead of imports.

The US has case is one of several pending at the WTO over the politically charged trade relationship between the US and China. Many lawmakers in the US accuse China of using illegal subsidies and an artificially low currency to boost exports, resulting in a massive trade deficit for the United States.

China's surplus with the US in September ballooned by 5.5 percent from August to 23.8 billion dollars.

Schwab underscored that Beijing's renunciation of the banned subsidies "is excellent news for China as a WTO member and excellent news for world trade.

Schwab said the agreement was reached after lengthy negotiations and showed the policy of dialogue and enforcement of the Republican administration of President George W. Bush was working.

"It clearly shows the wisdom of this approach over some legislative approaches that would simply impose retaliatory tariffs," she said.

The US-China Business Council welcomed China's decision to settle the case.

"The resolution of this case demonstrates that engagement with China, through bilateral discussion and through multilateral forums such as the WTO, successfully advances the interests of US companies and workers," said council president John Frisbie.

But US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, insisted: "We still need to do more. We must aggressively and consistently enforce our trade laws and safety standards, labor rights must be promoted, and future trade deals must be written to promote economic growth, not endless trade deficits."

Schwab noted upcoming bilateral meetings of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and the high-level Strategic Economic Dialogue and said "more results are needed, and at a faster pace."

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will lead a delegation to the SED talks scheduled for December 12-13 in China.

On Wednesday, China and the 27-nation European Union announced the launch of a series of high-level talks on trade in March.

Re: Free trade? Let's call a spade a spade.

Corporate greed feeds on itself and US manufacturing suffers.Â Multinationalists who drive the global economy have distanced themselves from the social contract, no longer relying on secure employment and rising standards of living to bolster consumer spending.Â Corporate greed has gotten so out of hand that there is no longer a philosophical agreement, even amongst themselves, that it is in their own self interest to promote a stable society by securing the safety net. How do they justify themselves?